January 17, 2011: The National? Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling has released its final report. What does it say and what are the lessons from this tragedy? The Ocean Doctor guides you through the highlights. Also: From The Ocean Foundation’s headquarters in Washington, DC, our panel of experts discusses other key ocean issues we should pay attention to this year.

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This Week: The BP Oil Spill Commission Speaks

We continue our in-depth coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and take our first look at the Commission’s final report. Also: Our panel of experts and the other big issues we need to pay attention to this year.

On May 22, 2010 President Obama established the National? Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, co-chaired by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator, William Riley. The Commission issued its report last week ? on time and under budget ? perhaps a first for a presidential commission. We take our first look at the report, drawing from last week’s press conference.

Oil Spill Commission Video

On April 20, 2010 an explosion tore through the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The disaster happened as workers were finalizing the drilling of the exploratory Macondo well, forty miles off the coast of Louisiana. It was, by any standard, a catastrophe. See the project at http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/media/